i think he was really thin in his first movie, above the law. it was kinda funny because his body was skinny, he had long skinny legs, a thin neck, and his head looked too big for the rest of his body. maybe that's just the way i saw him. but of course, he was still cool. the reason he was so thin back then was because he just got back from living in Japan and training all of the time and he was in his 30s. now, he's over 50 and he doesn't have to train all of the time. he spends a lot of time doing religious studies and training other people and traveling to other places to meet other people. even if he's a vegetarian he's going to put on weight because his metabolism has slowed down so much and he's not as active as he used to be. i know he's still healthy because of his martial arts and Buddhism lifestyle. gaining weight on the outside is a lot different from the fatty deposits on the inside of your body in the blood vessels. i'm sure his saturated fat and cholesterol level is a lot lower than mine, and i'm 23 years old, 6'0" tall, and 145 lbs! i eat whatever i want most of the time and i have a history of bad health of all kinds in my family. i really need to get active and change my diet a little bit. food is one of my biggest weaknesses despite my appearence...i have the same body type as Nico. when i was 12 years old, i was diagnosed with a high cholesterol level that was almost in the danger zone. every year i go to the doctor and get checked for my various levels of health, and it's been alright. but, in recent months, i'll admit, I've been eating everything in sight. lol. i'm currently stuck on italian foods. going back to Mr. Seagal, all he has to do is do some running exercises, the same way he got ready for the movie Exit Wounds. if he does this only 3 times a week (monday, wednesday, and friday), and pushes himself to the point that he sweats a lot which is a good sign of using up a large amout of fat, he will keep the weight off and he will train his metabolism to maintain a certain level. my doctor told me this when i was 12 years old. when you do cardio exercise and you sweat a lot you will be forcing cholesterol and saturated fat out of your body. that's the best way for anyone to lose weight. i guess the man's schedule is so busy he can't find time to do these things. maybe he should cut back on his meditation sessions. he has to sit still for that, and that's not helping his basic physical needs. his mental health, spiritual health, and his more internal physical needs are met very well with meditation. but we can't neglect other things. if he can remain at the same weight he was in Exit Wounds, that will be just right considering his age and his height. if he loses some more with the new routine I have suggested, that would be even better. but, no i don't think he's fat or obese. he's "pudgy", yes, but he's also tall. he's still not as big as Micheal Clark Duncan. my mom says he's a handsome man with a twinkle in his eye, and that he puts on most of his weight around the midsection. situps can help that. we also have to remember that aikido isn't very forceful and physical, unlike karate and kung-fu. so the techniques in aikido aren't going to make you maintain a constant weight level. you need to do other things outside of the techniques.